Best High Schools in Zip Code 79763

Zip code 79763 in Odessa, Texas, is home to two high schools: Odessa High School, a large traditional public school, and Richard Milburn Academy Odessa, a much smaller alternative charter school. These schools serve grades 9-12 in a community where economic challenges are significant, with Odessa High reporting over 81% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch.

The most striking difference between the two schools is their size and performance. Odessa High School enrolls 3,814 students and, while its academic scores are below state averages, it graduates 79% of its students. In contrast, Richard Milburn Academy has only 350 students but faces a severe crisis, with a graduation rate of just 17% and a dropout rate of nearly 19%. On state tests, Odessa High outperforms Richard Milburn in every subject—for example, 57% of Odessa High students passed Biology versus just 4% at Richard Milburn. Richard Milburn also has an extremely high student-teacher ratio of 50.6:1, compared to Odessa High's 17.8:1, and spends less per student ($6,197 vs. $8,936), suggesting it lacks the resources to support its at-risk population.

Both schools are part of districts that also struggle. Ector County Independent School District (Isd), which oversees Odessa High, has district-wide Algebra I proficiency of 40.58%, but Odessa High's rate is just 18.08%, making it one of the lower-performing schools in an already below-average district. Richard Milburn Alter High School (Killeen), the charter network for Richard Milburn Academy, also shows extremely low metrics, indicating systemic issues. For parents, Odessa High offers a more stable environment with better outcomes, while Richard Milburn Academy appears to be in a state of severe distress, unable to retain or graduate most of its students.